Paterno As Bad As Bowden? No Way.

by Graham Filler on Nov 30, 2008 8:14 PM EST

In one of your recent rants against Bobby Bowden, a throwaway line of yours read something like:

So, while we pretend that Bowden isn't literally the worst coach in America (and it's debatable between him and Paterno), and wait for the day that he finally ceases to exist (whether at FSU or on earth, both seem equally likely), we can do something about the defensive staff.

Paterno is the worst coach in America? What a skewed view of college football you have. Paterno presides over a 11-1 Penn State team that changed its entire offensive philosophy and was rewarded with a Rose Bowl berth. His Penn State team was one last second field goal away from playing in the BCS title game. Of course he's a figurehead who lets his assistants run the program, but that's where his brilliance lays. He was aware enough to recognize his monstrous physical and mental limitations and allow others to make the strategy decisions, while at the same time using his "legend" status to recruit top players and remain the face of the program.

The main job of a "football school" coach like Paterno is to help his program retain its status as a top program. He has done that successfully, especially this year. He could have nixed his sons Spread HD offense and stuck with the traditionally bland Penn State offensive system. But he was flexible and they profited immensely.

Maybe Paterno doesn't always know what day it is (I'm slightly exaggerating Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> ).But while Bowden has allowed the the best college football program of the 1990s to be surpassed by its hated in-state rival, Paterno has taken steps to assure that Penn State is improving and relevant on the national level. That doesn't sound like bad coaching to me.

Graham Filler

The Rivalry, Esq. "SBN's Big 10 Blog"

www.rivalryesq.com

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Comments

Joe is having a nice year, for sure.

Neither coach does anything, however, and I tend to believe that this is simply a fluctuation for Penn State. It wasn’t long ago that the Nittany Lions were a 3-win team.

Tomahawk Nation: No-Holds-Barred Nole Analysis

by Bud Elliott on Nov 30, 2008 8:26 PM EST reply actions

My point is, of course that most Penn State fans do not want Joe Pa to go because they realize the positives he brings to the program. On the other hand, I get a vague sense (from the front page article) that FSU fans think its program could progress without Bobby B just fine.

by Graham Filler on Nov 30, 2008 8:32 PM EST up reply actions

The program would skyrocket without Bobby and his defensive sidekicks.

by FSUSOM on Nov 30, 2008 9:28 PM EST up reply actions

Fair enough. I guess he doesn't really have excellent in-state competition to deal with.

Paterno’s program is doing well.

Tomahawk Nation: No-Holds-Barred Nole Analysis

by Bud Elliott on Dec 1, 2008 2:21 AM EST up reply actions

Neither coach does anything?

Paterno was injured demonstrating an onside kick to his hands team. He is intimately involved with his team.

I thought your initial remark about Paterno was way off base. Paterno’s obviously still “got it,” whatever “it” really is. Bowden has descended to the point that he is nothing more than a laughingstock. If you wanted to compare Bowden to a bad coach, you could have chosen Greg Robinson or Ty Willingham. There are two guys who drove their programs into the ground like Bowden.

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by Gatorpilot on Dec 1, 2008 7:25 AM EST reply actions

Comparing Bobby Bowden's downturn to Ty Willingham

That is ridiculous.

Hey yeah, all dogs have 4 legs, so all 4 legged animals are dogs.

“Intimately invoved with his team”- are you suggesting something I think you are? All Paterno does is yell at the press about how ridiculous everything is because its not like it was when he was younger. The only motivation to Penn State he brings is the hype people have created. Bobby Bowden would have the same thing for the very same reason but circumstances are just not the same. Bobby Bowden made a poor choice with his son. That choice is the reason things are so tough for Bowden (not to mention the fans), because he wasn’t seen as only making a poor decision because fans have suspicion that his judgement was clouded by a conflict of interest type situation between father and son.

Its a matter of popularity in a lot of these cases you mentioned about “injured demonstrating an onside kick to his hands team”. If Bowden did that now, it would be viewed negatively while Paterno is a hero. That is horse crap and there is a lot to go around as far as the AP and NCAA football… et. al. for that matter.

by FSUvaFan on Dec 3, 2008 10:22 PM EST up reply actions

Late post but whatever its exam time

by FSUvaFan on Dec 3, 2008 10:23 PM EST up reply actions

Your comment about Bowden being surpasses by it's hated

in state rival just shows you how much more competitive the state of florida is than Penn St. We have to play Miami and Florida every year both which we get in some very HOT recruiting wars with. We are recruiting against the best for the best…..Unlike Penn St. who has a very good high school football state, yet has very LITTLE competitive in state recruiting wars. PITT? Hardly! PENN? Paterno is no better of a coach than is Bobby. JoePa is doing well, but also consider the Big Ten and how ‘hard’ you have to recruit you PA boys.

by MNeilson on Dec 1, 2008 5:52 PM EST reply actions

I don’t know why this is being cited as a reason for Paterno’s greater success than Bowden. PSU doesn’t recruit the majority of their team from Pa, and they are hardly as dependent on recruiting PA for success as we are dependent on Florida.

by CaStauch on Dec 1, 2008 11:59 PM EST up reply actions